


so sing (and I will too)

by jackandlanterns



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Advent Calendar, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Background Relationships, Christmas, Christmas Caroling, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, all zaveid wants for christmas is to not get arrested 2k17, only a little tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 06:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12929571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandlanterns/pseuds/jackandlanterns
Summary: Zaveid grins, lifting his face to the heavens. His lips part."No," Sorey says helplessly, but it's too late.And then Zaveid's throat swells with sound, belting out the first opening bars of a song Sorey had officially banned this go around.(In which Sorey finally persuades Mikleo to go caroling with the crew, it goes in unexpected directions, and "All I Want For Christmas" is, decidedly, not a Christmas carol.)





	so sing (and I will too)

**Author's Note:**

> day 5 of the Sormik advent calendar!  
> prompt: caroling

To say Sorey is not having the best of weeks would be a gross understatement.

He's stressed for his archaeology midterms- and so, by extension, Mikleo- his boss gave him The Glare that told him he'd be scrubbing out the gorilla pen with a toothbrush for the next three weeks because of a minor screw-up, and Uno was ill.

Well, he's more concerned about the latter. 

The penguin appeared despondent; though it wasn't really his job, he couldn't help but notice that he was refusing to eat when he came. The other penguins, however, bit him habitually to let him know that they wanted food, and now.

"What happened?" He had asked Lailah, and she had merely shook her head. 

"His egg was smashed," Lailah had said in explanation.

So, here he was. He winces, running his hands through his hair. 

His worried glance lands in the general direction of the penguin exhibit, from where he's bent over pulling weeds.

His job isn't the most glamorous at times- well, most of the time- but it helps him pay for college, and that's all that matters.

He glances up, feeling eyes on him.

As he'd guessed, the gaze belongs to Mikleo. He's leaned against the guide rail running through the sides of the walkway, elbows propped comfortably on the rail.

His vivid eyes look almost soft, regarding him, and his white hair waves at him gently with the sweep of the soft breeze. 

Sorey feels a familiar clench in his throat. 

"Hey," Sorey says, turning back to his weeds. He tugs up a particularly resilient patch of clovers, shoveling them into the bag. "You look nice."

"Hey, Sorey," Mikleo says back. Sorey can sense his smile from a few feet away.

A slight one, though; Mikleo hardly ever grins with his entire face, but it makes it all the more special this way.

"I see you're weeding," Mikleo says, amusement coloring his tone. Sorey knows a sarcastic comment is coming, and beats him to it.

"I see you're pointing out obvious statements," Sorey says, uprooting another pesky clover. The sun beats harshly on his back.

God, his laugh. Light and genuine, floating in the air like an autumn leaf.

The customary question comes after his laugh fades. "So, how're the penguins?"

The silence is expectant. Sorey blinks, having been focused on a large patch of weeds.

Sorey's hands pause. "Oh! Mason's doing great. I think he was happy to see me. It's progress!"

Mason was one of their newer penguins, having just arrived recently on a shipment from a research facility. 

Sorey looks up just in time to see Mikleo's head shaking.

"You and your penguins," he says, fondly. The affection in his voice forms a little warm knot in Sorey's chest.

"Oh, but..." Sorey blinks. "Uno's upset. He won't eat."

"I'm sure he'll be alright," He says, eyes softening with reassurance. 

"I hope so," Sorey says. Smile, his eyes seem to say, and Sorey obeys, shaking off his concern. Then, "I'm excited for tonight, though."

"What, the caroling thing?" Mikleo inquires, raising his sculpted eyebrows.

Sorey nods, sitting back with the last of the weeds.

"Are you almost done?" says Mikleo as soon as Sorey starts to tie the garbage bag. 

"Yep, shift ends in..." Sorey stands, leaning forward to tap Mikleo's watch. "...two."

"Get your own watch," Mikleo tells him, smirking, but his words don't have any real edge.

"What would you be useful for, then?" Sorey teases, hefting the bag over his shoulder.

“Cooking,” Mikleo shoots back. “You're awful.” 

“That's not fair!” exclaims Sorey. “I'm good at cooking.” 

“Well, there's not much you're not good at,” Mikleo says, annoyed. "I don't know what to pick."

Sorey beams. 

Mikleo instantly breaks eye contact, tilting his head to the side. 

His cheeks are dusted a slight pink. It’s the cutest thing Sorey’s ever seen, after all this time.

"It's amazing," Sorey says. "You still blush."

"Shut up," says Mikleo.

## 

"You still on for tonight?" Rose slides onto Sorey's occupied library table, her butt knocking a few errant sheets of paper to the ground along with his plastic gear paperweight. 

She doesn't seem to care, giving him her signature carefree smile.

She's timed it so that she catches the end of his study session. He sets aside the rest of his papers, standing and stretching.

"Of course," Sorey tells her. "I wouldn't miss it!"

"That's the spirit!" Rose encourages, rather loudly.

Sorey glances around nervously, but Rose's voice only seems to attract a few annoyed glances. He looks back to Rose.

"Now," Rose continues, with an edge of mischief to her voice. "You just have to convince Mikleo."

"What?" Sorey shakes his head. "No. I already asked. He doesn't want to."

"So?" Rose is looking at him like he's grown three heads. "That means nothing. I know you can get him into it."

Sorey cocks an eyebrow. "Then you convince Edna."

"And then," Rose says abruptly. "There are some things that are just not possible, pal-"

Sorey's smile is (only a little) smug.

"Fine, you're right there," Rose says, hesitantly, like the admission pains her to say. She pauses. "Besides, Edna's the exception. I'm not her girlfriend."

Sorey splutters. "How is that supposed to-"

"Honestly," says Rose with a roll of her eyes. "Just one bat of your pretty little lashes and he'll come."

## 

"No."

"Come _on_ , Mikleo!" Sorey pleads, trying his best to bat his lashes. Rose has good advice sometimes, after all.

"No. Do you have something in your eye?"

And sometimes she doesn't.

Sorey sighs, giving up his blinking, and lets his shoulders drop. 

"Look, Mikleo," Sorey starts, and lifts his hands to Mikleo's cheeks.

He doesn't lean away, but he doesn't do anything either. It's not the most encouraging response.

Sorey presses on, sincere. "I'd really like you to come. I want to be with you. You don't have to sing if you don't want to, I promise."

Mikleo exhales, placing his hands over Sorey's and lacing their fingers together. 

His hands are cold. "I..."

He sounds indecisive. Sorey takes this as his final opportunity.

"Not just me," Sorey says. "Rose, and Alisha, and Zaveid-"

Mikleo's snort interrupts him. "That's hardly incentive."

"Zaveid's not so bad!" Sorey defends, obligated.

He has a feeling, though, that Zaveid's going to be screeching 'All I Want For Christmas' at the top of his lungs. Like last year.

(It had been at one AM, too. They'd almost gotten arrested for 'disturbance of the peace'. Thank god it had been Eizen who'd caught them; he was easier to persuade with Zaveid there. Sorey suspected they hadn't really persuaded him at all; Eizen had just known he would have to bail Zaveid out.)

"His pick-up lines are awful," Mikleo says.

And that, well, Sorey has to concede. 

"That's not the point." Sorey says evasively. "Everyone would love you to come."

Mikleo's silent for a moment, and then he sighs and drops their hands. The separation feels like a loss.

"Alright. Fine," he says begrudgingly.

Sorey scoops him up in his arms, spinning him around. He's completely unable to drop his pleased grin, even if he wanted to. 

"That's awesome, Mikleo!" Sorey cheers, ignoring Mikleo's writhing.

"Put me down," Mikleo huffs, but there's finally a smile on his face, tugging at the corner of his lips in amusement.

It's a victory.

## 

"Where are we meeting?" Mikleo asks, after he's put on a Santa hat.

He looks adorable. Sorey takes a moment to appreciate the sight.

"Sorey," Mikleo repeats, looking unamused.

"In front of Drago's Stew," Sorey says, jiggling his keys.

"The bar?" says Mikleo, skeptically.

"Yes...?"

Mikleo doesn't say anything, but Sorey has a good idea of what he's thinking. He probably thinks Zaveid's already well on his way to being inebriated.

He's not wrong.

## 

By the time they've 'officially' started caroling, Zaveid is, indeed, drunk, along with Rose. Alisha had been spared such an outcome by declaring herself the designated driver.

They've gone down a few streets in town, singing, when everything really starts going downhill.

"I have a proposition," Zaveid says.

Always a dangerous sentence.

"Zaveid!" Rose exclaims. "You know what 'proposition' means!"

"'Course I do," scoffs Zaveid. "I love reading the dictionary. Like Mikleo."

Mikleo glares, not deigning him with a reply.

"Anyway, I have an idea!" announces Zaveid a second time.

"Whatever you're about to say, it's a no," Mikleo says, looking suspicious.

"Who's down for some Mariah Carey in this joint?" Zaveid hollers, whooping deep from his lungs. He flicks his long, straight hair behind one ear and opens his arms theatrically.

"No," Alisha says with growing concern.

"Yeah!" Rose, the enabler while drunk, bumps his shoulder.

Zaveid grins, lifting his face to the heavens. His lips part.

"No," Sorey says helplessly, but it's too late.

And then Zaveid's throat swells with sound, belting out the first opening bars of a song Sorey had officially banned this go around.

Mikleo groans. He looks like he's regretting ever agreeing to come, which is the opposite of what Sorey had planned to happen.

And a cop car pulls around the corner.

It's a coincidence, most likely (probably just a regular patrol or something, Sorey knows little about police) but everyone stiffens and even Zaveid's words die out because it's too perfect a replica of last year's famous Incident.

"Shit," Zaveid says.

"I hate you all," Mikleo says.

## 

Thankfully, they don't end up getting arrested, though it is quite the scare.

Zaveid is as difficult to subdue as ever. As soon as the danger's past, he starts shouting "Jingle Bells" with far too much holiday cheer.

Sorey had never thought one could have too much cheer, before he'd met Zaveid.

He was wrong.

"How is this caroling?" Mikleo hisses into Sorey's ear.

Sorey shrugs. "It's mostly an excuse for Zaveid to yell."

"I see."

"Come on, lover boy, join in!" says Zaveid, somehow suddenly behind them. Mikleo startles, turning, and is horrified when he realizes Zaveid is addressing _him_.

"L-lover boy?"

"I want to see your Christmas spirit!" Zaveid's voice is sing-song.

"You two seem to be doing fine enough," points out Mikleo.

It's mostly true. Rose and Zaveid haven't really stopped 'caroling', even with Sorey and Alisha faltering every now and then from hoarse throats.

"I'm sure you know the words," Zaveid says, ignoring him.

Mikleo sighs, prompted on by Sorey's supportive smile.

The first few verses are hesitant, but, as oft with enthusiastic company, Mikleo finds himself enjoying it more and more and letting go, losing himself in laughter and singing.

After all, it's not like he can look more idiotic than the two drunks screaming "Santa Baby". 

## 

"So, how'd you like it?" Sorey asks, voice soft. 

It feels nice to be back home; it's peaceful, quiet. Sorey loves Zaveid, he really does, but it's a blessing after 'caroling'.

Mikleo gives him an exhausted smile. 

They're both burned-out; Mikleo leans into him, and it almost topples him. 

"It was...fun," Mikleo admits. "Loud. But fun."

"I'm glad," Sorey says with a smile. He presses a kiss to the corner of Mikleo's lips, feeling the curve of Mikleo's returned smile.

"You're right, though," Mikleo says, pulling back and looping his arms around Sorey's neck.

It feels right. Relaxed. Sorey wants nothing more than to fall asleep like this, though the granite counter wouldn't be very comfortable.

"Mmm?" Sorey noses into Mikleo's neck, dropping a chaste kiss there.

"It _is_ an excuse for Zaveid to yell."

Sorey laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry sorry sorry for the inactivity D: school's been crazy!  
> but! i am working on a voltron and a miraculous ladybug fic ;) the miraculous one will be out soon!  
> agh also i apologize for how short this is ;;  
> i also messed up a little with the formatting and i was trying to indent but it wouldn't let me so...another time i guess lol 
> 
> anyway,  
> thanks for reading!


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